Community Brag Posts

Standing Outdoor Planter

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 04/14/2023 - 06:42

A friend of mine has issues with her knees but loves gardening so I built this to allow her to continue gardening. She loved it.

I didnt follow any particular set of plans I watched several you tube videos and combined different ideas from the videos to develop my own plan.

Comments

Fancy + Mimi's Hall Trees

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 02/05/2017 - 13:28

Took the fancy hall tree bottom and added Mimi's hutch to the top. Added a little bead board to the bench and top edges to cover up the plywood, and voila! My wife's Christmas gift. 

Estimated Cost
$250-300
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
White paint and polyurethane
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

SMALL GABLE ROOF GREENHOUSE

Submitted by Ledopmi on Wed, 12/23/2020 - 06:07

I was planning on building a greenhouse some time next year but I just happen to see this by chance and fell in love with it. I've always built from my own designs but when I saw this I decided to purchase the plans. I couldn't be more happy with it. Right now its doubling as a feed room. I wanted a solid foundation so I build a floating deck to mount the walls on. The deck added quite a bit to the total price.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$1384.94
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Paint
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Comments

Farmhouse Toy Box

Submitted by frmoody on Thu, 08/18/2022 - 15:01

My second build from Ana's toy box plan. I had my son use his CNC machine to carve boy's name into the front. Depth of the letters is about 0.25". Looks really good.

Built from Plan(s)

Comments

Outdoor Entertaining Space

Submitted by ikeymedesu on Sun, 05/30/2021 - 06:09

A 2-month long project to create an entertaining space in our small backyard. I started with a dining set for 6, then went on to seating around our firepit. I actually doubled the size of the Modern Outdoor Loveseat and built a 4-seat couch (added a center section for support. I also built 2 loveseats, 2 small side tables, and took some creative liberties to design a coffee table/foot rest combo. The major modification I made to the couch and loveseats was adding a back for some additional height. This really improved the comfort when leaning back. Had a great time completing this project! When lumber prices come down I'll continue the build. (2 pictures keep uploading and converting to an upside down image - no idea why, but sorry for the weird view)

Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Behr Premium Transparent Natural Cedartone Weatherproof
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Ana White Admin

Sun, 05/30/2021 - 09:58

Love the coffee table foot rest, would love to see more of the outdoor table as well! It all looks amazing and came together perfectly! Thank you for sharing, check out our Facebook page, just shared!

Seasonal And Holiday

Square Picnic Table Project

This was a great summer project. The table looks great and it was any easy build. Doesn’t get any better than this. I added a hole in the center of the table for my umbrella and used the longer screws for more frame stability.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$200.00
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Used semi transparent cedar tone stain. Lightly sanded edges and surfaces. Applied stain with a brush before assembly.

Comments

Seasonal And Holiday

Sandbox with built-in seats

I modified this a tad from the original plans to suit my needs. I will eventually be adding a platform with attached slide and swing set.

Plans were easy to follow. My store didn't have 1x8's so I stacked 1x4's and used my Kreg jig to join them together and then I added extra bracing.

I had seen this on Pinterest a couple years ago and thought it was the coolest thing! Io excited I was able to build it myself!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
About $40
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
None yet. I will stain and seal everything when I get the entire play set finished.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Raised Bed Garden Enclosure

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 05/28/2020 - 17:08

We perviously had a larger garden farther back in the yard, it was on the ground which is very hard and rocky. It was tough to till and maintain, so it was taken down a few years ago.

My wife and teenage daughter have green thumbs and have planted herbs and tomatoes in pots over the past few years, but this year they wanted something more substantial. After an online search we found this plan.

It was a bit small for what the girls had planned, so with a little bit of tweaking, we changed the depth of the enclosure to 10'. It was pretty easy to do. Also the girls wanted the beds to be a bit deeper, so we made them three 2x6's deep instead of two

It was built by my wife and I in one weekend, well actually the truth is we built the entire enclosure, minus the door on Saturday about 10am and finish up about 5:30pm. I built the door the next day and we hung it together.

Just an FYI, I have quite a bit of woodworking experience and have a workshop with table saw, band saw and much, much more. I did use the table saw for most of the cuts, with the exception of the gate support which I cut using the band saw.

One caveat, if you have the lumber yard cut any pieces for you, make sure all the lumber is the same length. It's kind os a nit picky thing, but none of the lumber was exactly the length shown on the labels. If you want all the joints to be "perfect" I suggest measuring and cutting all the pieces to the correct length to match the plans.

We also used an industrial hand held staple gun to fasten the chicken wire.

The cost of all the materials, including two sets of work gloves came out to $447.92 from Home Depot in 2020.

We are now waiting for a delivery of the top soil to fill the beds. Since we used weatherguard lumber, we are going to gat plastic sheeting and line the beds.

It was a fun project and my girls are looking forward to planting all their seedlings.

For fun we made a time lapse video, which I have uploaded to Youtube. If you watch closely, you will see that we started the build in one area of the yard and moved it because the ground sloped much more than we originally thought.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7vvBLy034U&list=WL&index=112&t=0s

I hope that our experience may help others in some small way.

Thank you Ana for making these plans available!!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$447.92
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
None.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Sandbox w/ Built In Seats

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 06/14/2017 - 07:30

I have built some other stuff before, but not with paint and sanding and such. It was definitely a great learning project. There are imperfections, but it's a toy, so kids will be having fun and that is all that matters.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$100... but, the paint will be used on other projects, and I paid for better boards for on top.
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Porch swing bed

Submitted by Beaulook on Tue, 01/28/2014 - 16:29

Started off with the original design but enlarged it to fit an oversize single mattress. The mattress cost me $35 from a local faith farm, while the materials came in around $200. I decided to hang under my backyard pergola. Fun and easy project.

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$250
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Cedar stain
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

bhammond

Tue, 01/28/2014 - 21:10

Wow this looks so inviting I might just have to make one too! Nice work-- it looks great!

Shorty

Tue, 01/28/2014 - 21:26

Really great job on your porch swing bed AND an awesome looking patio/yard. Looks amazing all around!

Debbie Perkins

Mon, 07/27/2015 - 22:45

I want this!  I just made a couple of plant stands for my front porch.  My husband asked me what my next project was, why, a swing bed.  (This was only my second project!)  I want to put cup holders in those big ole arms!  We have a house at the beach in South Alabama, so, you gotta "hydrate."  This is an awesome swing.  I can't wait to do mine...pillows to rest on, one foot on the concrete pushing me in a slow swing. Cold beverage in my hand or in my cup holder. Yep, southern girl has a new project.  Love it!

Drop-Down Door Hutch Desk

Submitted by danicarby on Thu, 05/14/2015 - 13:47

I designed this desk from another desk I built. With this one, I wanted the overall foot-print smaller but still something that was able to organize all our office stuff and be able to close everything to keep it clutter-free. We have a small apartment, and although this desk is about the size of an up-right piano, it works perfectly into our living space!

I made it out of raw hardwood (Ash) and because I knew just the wood alone would make this desk heavy/bulky to move I made the top hutch removable. It's held in place by wood pegs (dominos). All the shelves are adjustable and the drawers are full-extension (something I've never had - wahoo)! The drop-down door is help up by 2 pull-out boards on each side (my first desk had chains). I spend a lot of money on this desk because I knew it was a chance in a lifetime to make and wanted it to be perfect and something that would last generations.

I built the main carcass off of plans/measurements I designed, but then all the insides, drawers, shelves, doors, etc where made as I built (because just a millimeter difference in building changes everything)!

If you want more pictures/descriptions of the building process I wrote about it in a 4-part series on my blog.

Estimated Cost
$1,000 for all wood & supplies
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
To achieve the ash gray color I used "General Finishes" brand water-based stains (equal mixtures of Walnut, Antique Oak & Whitewash) with 1/2 ratio of Pre-Stain Conditioner (bought from Woodcraft). I did 2-3 coats stain, lightly sanded and sprayed 2 coats of Ceramithane clearcoat using HVLP sprayer (sanding with 550 grit paper in between).
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

Four station desk (PB inspired)

Submitted by monty742 on Sun, 03/15/2015 - 08:58

I really liked the PB mega desk, but I didn't want to spend $1600 on it.  After seeing someone's post here (a couple years ago...) asking for plans on that desk, I decided to do it myself.  I took these two plans and made 4 base units.  They are 18" square at the top and 34" tall.  I used 2 IKEA table tops connected underneath for the top, to make a total height of 36" - counter stool height.  I constructed them a little differently than the plans, but no matter how you make them, the idea is the same.  The plan is to take them apart and make 2 desks once everyone is too old and cool to do homework/artwork together.

Estimated Cost
$500
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Finish Used
Kitchen and Bath finish paint (2 coats) - it's a little shinier than eggshell (I only used it because I had 2 or 3 gallons extra at home :) then 2 coats acrylic top coat matte finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

monty742

Sat, 08/15/2015 - 04:33

Just seeing your comment...sorry for the delay!  I got the stools and the light fixture at a Ballard Backroom (outlet) store near me.  3 of the stools ended up being about $40 each with the sale they had at the time, and the 4th was $60? - bought at a later time than the first 3.

AlisaH

Wed, 11/04/2015 - 07:40

How did you connect the table tops from the bottom so that the tables were secure together? I'm curious what's the best way to do this. Since two of the four seats will be where the seam is, I want to make sure I secure it properly so it's not wobbly. Thanks so much.

 

monty742

Sat, 01/09/2016 - 05:06

I'm just seeing these latest comments for the first time, so you may have long finished this project already!  The tops were surprisingly sturdy but I did reinforce them.  I placed the tops on the floor upside down and screwed some metal brackets (about 12" long each) across the joint in four places.  I just screwed them in through holes already in the brackets.  This wasn't the most stable because those tops are particle board and don't hold screws very well...  But since it was already pretty sturdy, I figured it would do.  It has been fine, even with standing on the top (kids who get up there and me hanging the light fixture above).

Once the tops were joined, I placed the bases so there was about a 1" overhang on the top.  To hold the top in place, I used small pieces of wood screwed to the underside of the top at the inside corner to act as a placement stop.  The top is pretty big and heavy even though they are IKEA tops, so they don't have a tendency to move or slide at all anyway.  I'm going to try to figure out how to post another picture of the braces and corner stops...we'll see if I can do it!  Let me know if you have any more questions...again, sorry I didn't see this in a more timely manner!

Pmprdwife

Sat, 01/02/2016 - 05:55

Is the photo above the Pottery Barn version or your product result?  I'm trying to figure out the dimensions for the drawer and shelf configurations.  Thanks!  BTW, I'm totally addicted to your style and personality...my husband loves the productivity inspiration I've received. :-)

 

monty742

Sat, 01/09/2016 - 10:17

Hi!

I'm glad you like the desk!  The one in the picture is the one I built, not the pottery barn one!  My dimensions were a good bit different than the PB desk - square bases instead of rectangular and counter stool height instead of desk/table height.  So, I have no idea if I have my plans for this anymore, so I went and measured it again for you!  

So each base is 18" x 18" square and 34" high so that with the 2" top the total height is 36".

 

Each base was made of oak plywood that made with 3 sides, a top and a bottom.  All edges were rabbit joints (3/8" deep in thickness of boards and probably 3/8" wide - not 100% on width of rabbits).  It's kind of a pain to do rabbit joints if you don't have a dado blade for your table saw, so you could use pocket hole screws instead.  I glued and nailed these joints with a finish nailer, I believe.  

I figured a diagram with measurements would be easier than trying to write descriptions...so I'm adding another pic with the dimensions outlined.  Drawing is NOT to scale, so sorry about that!  I really need to learn to use SketchUp.  Let me know if you have any questions!  

Monty742

monty742

Sat, 01/09/2016 - 07:57

Hi!

I'm glad you like the desk!  The one in the picture is the one I built, not the pottery barn one!  My dimensions were a good bit different than the PB desk - square bases instead of rectangular and counter stool height instead of desk/table height.  So, I have no idea if I have my plans for this anymore, so I went and measured it again for you!  

So each base is 18" x 18" square and 34" high so that with the 2" top the total height is 36".

 

Each base was made of oak plywood that made with 3 sides, a top and a bottom.  All edges were rabbit joints (3/8" deep in thickness of boards and probably 3/8" wide - not 100% on width of rabbits).  It's kind of a pain to do rabbit joints if you don't have a dado blade for your table saw, so you could use pocket hole screws instead.  I glued and nailed these joints with a finish nailer, I believe.  

I figured a diagram with measurements would be easier than trying to write descriptions...so I'm adding another pic with the dimensions outlined.  Drawing is NOT to scale, so sorry about that!  I really need to learn to use SketchUp.  Let me know if you have any questions!  

monty742

Thu, 07/28/2016 - 14:13

No you can't buy them from Ikea.  I bought the table tops from Ikea, but I built the bases.  The dimensions for the bases are in one of the additional pictures with the post if you want to see them!

treverandamber

Mon, 10/10/2016 - 07:41

What are the total dimensions of the table top? Thinking of building something like this, but want to make sure it will fit in my space.

Simgre81

Thu, 12/28/2017 - 07:00

Are these just slide in drawers, or did you use some sort of hardware to have them slide in and out?

Bike Storage

Submitted by vendo on Wed, 10/13/2021 - 10:10

I live in a smaller rental with limited garage space, so I needed a place for my kids bikes. This is what I came up with. It required minimal screw holes in the treated fence posts and I attached a rail system(rubbermaid fasttrak) for the bikes to hang from. I used Ana's easy shelves plan for the upright supports and then just added some corrugated roofing and cedar fence pickets (which I had on hand) to finish off the top.

Tool Caddy

Submitted by docbromo on Thu, 01/20/2022 - 15:21

I repurpose furniture as a hobby and I got tired of having my tools hanging on a wall on the other side of the garage so I bult this rolling tool caddy. It is made out of 3/4" plywood, a couple of 2x4's and some heavy-duty casters. I built one about 3 years ago and realized that there were some things I wanted to do differently so I sold it and bult this one. My wife gave me a subscription to SketchUp and I had fun drawing it up and tweaking it. I left an over hang of 3" on both sides so I could store my clamps. I also attached an electrical cord reel on the right side and reversed the ends so the male end can plug into the wall and I can roll the unit across the room allowing me to be able to charge my batteries. The back side has a 44 drawer storage organizer and also a few shelves for additional tools like a router and a multi-tool. I'm not nearly the craftsman many of you are and I'm sure you could do a much better job. I didn't build it to look pretty but to be functional and it works for me.

Comments

Jayp413

Fri, 01/21/2022 - 09:16

I really like this idea. I have my tools hung up neat all around the garage, but I keep walking back and forth for tools and batteries. It would be great to roll this over to a project and have everything you need right there. Nice work. I will modify one for my needs.

BigMacQue

Fri, 01/21/2022 - 10:06

there are some very thoughtful features on this, notably the wings at the top and the bottom for clamps and extra tools and the different shelf heights. Well done! I'm going to build one just like it and a power strip for battery storage.

Headboard based on PB Oxford Storage Bed

Although I didn't build this from a plan I wanted to be sure and share it as it is because of my experience building from Ana's plans that I felt comfortable giving this a shot.

My in-laws were just updated their lake cabin and wanted a storage headboard as space is a premium and it will be the only furniture in the guest rooms. It is unique as it has shelves on either side which can pull out to function as a small night stand, perfect for cell phones, books etc. The back of the piece is tongue and groove knotty pine which for the more rustic look they wanted.

I will probably do things a little different when I build the next headboard but overall I am satisfied with the end result. I chose not to do a lower storage area, mainly to keep the cost down. It could be done very easily but this piece is already very heavy and that there is plenty of storage.

Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Special Walnut stain with semi-gloss Polycrylic. All of the wood was sanded and then I applied wood conditioner. One coat of the stain and three coats of the semi-gloss. I live in Minnesota and build it in my garage so I had to wait until this week when temperatures finally were warm enough to apply the finish.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

Drop down murphy bar

Submitted by nick_h on Tue, 12/06/2016 - 10:54

My attempt at the murphy bar featured on this site. Still have to add the sash locks. Added pallet crossmembers at the back, an x in the leg, and a french cleat to mount to the wall. 

Estimated Cost
$45
Estimated Time Investment
Day Project (6-9 Hours)
Finish Used
Special Walnut Minwax on the bar top and shelves, crisp linen matte latex and dry brushed casual gray for accents/aging. 2 coats of polycrylic for protection. If built again would pre stain and base coat all the wood before build time, then assemble, add accent brushing and spray the polycrylic.
Recommended Skill Level
Beginner

Comments

zannej

Tue, 12/31/2019 - 11:49

This looks awesome! I want to help my friend build this for his kitchen. I've looked at the plans in the link & I'm wondering what modifications you made for the X pattern-- how much did it alter the material & cut list?

Would you please share your material & cut list for this?

Shoe Dresser

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sat, 04/01/2017 - 08:26

We used the shoe dresser instructions with some modifications to make it longer

Built from Plan(s)
Finish Used
Stain, polyerthane, chalk paint and wax
Recommended Skill Level
Advanced

Master Bath Barn Door

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 03/17/2017 - 16:34

Created this door with pine wood tongue and groove lumber and pine wood planks. Purchase barn door hardware / track from Jet.com and door handles from Hobby Lobby. 

 

This replaced my Master bath door and I think came out pretty good. Thank you for the ideas!!!  Jeff M.   Brownstown, Mi

Estimated Cost
Wood 55.00
Handles 2 for 8.00
Stain ( left overs)
Barn door track 54.00

Total $117.00 and 10 % Military discount at lowes
Estimated Time Investment
Weekend Project (10-20 Hours)
Finish Used
Minwax. Mix of Kona and Driftwood Grey
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

lawn and garden shed

Submitted by brittanyj on Wed, 08/19/2015 - 13:17

Needed a shed to store bikes and mowers, etc, so I'd have more room in the woodshop : )  I made a lot of modifications to the plan to fit my space and make it much larger.  The completed size is 7 foot tall at the peak, 6 feet deep and 5.5 feet wide.  I made it as a 3 sided shed, using the wall as the 4th to save on cost, increase air flow, and make the exterior house wall accessible.  I also made an egress in the back of the shed in order to get behind the shed if needed. 

Instead of roofing shingles, I opted for ribbed metal sheets and one clear sheet in the middle to make a skylight, so there would be light in the shed.  This is my favorite part of the project.  It was a huge pain to attach the roofing from a ladder with very limited access, but it looks great and I love the light coming in.  We have very little rain in CA, so I'll have to wait until winter/rainy season in order to test out its waterproofing. 

Since the shed sits between the house and the neighbors block wall fence, and I wanted to use as much of the space as I could, I decided to design the shed to have the side wall against the house rather than the back wall, as shown in the plan.  This took a large amount of modifications, but with careful planning and measuring, it can be done.  This also meant blocking off access to behind the shed, so I cut an egress in the back wall and added hinges so you can lift the back cut out panel, and rest it on a stop block attached to the fence behind it in order to have access.  That's what woodworking is about- problem solving.  Love it. 

As you can see by the full shed picture, it fits a large amount of stuff- 2 adult bikes, mower, edger, trimmer, chainsaw, hedge trimmer, garden tools, shovels, etc, with plenty of room for more.  I now have a free corner in my garage that I've already filled with a DIY rolling workbench and more pegboard space for tool hanging.  Woodshop increased space= happy Brittany. 

I should also mention that building the frame and adding the pickets was quite a quick and easy job.  The hardest and most time consuming part was the roof (I didn't have metal cutting tools), rolling each very heavy wall to the site (I was alone) and the previous 2 weeks in which I built the paver patio the shed sits on.  Hard work, but worth it.  I love it!

Built from Plan(s)
Estimated Cost
$280
Estimated Time Investment
Week Long Project (20 Hours or More)
Recommended Skill Level
Intermediate

Comments

brittanyj

Mon, 01/25/2021 - 13:15

It has been incredibly useful for storing! One thing about the skylight- Over time the sun has warped it and there is now a hole and crack there. So I wouldn't plan on the clear roofing being a long term solution- I will be replacing it with either thicker clear roofing or 2 layers.